(The following story by Russell Clemings appeared on The Fresno Bee website on June 5.)
FRESNO, Calif. — Two-thirds of California’s congressional delegation has signed a letter to Gov. Schwarzenegger supporting much more funding for the state’s proposed high-speed rail system than the governor’s budget proposed.
Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, said the 36 signatures include four other San Joaquin Valley representatives — Reps. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced; Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield; Devin Nunes, R-Visalia; and George Radanovich, R-Mariposa.
He called the letter “a strong signal from Washington that California is serious about high-speed rail” and said the goal is to get $50 million in funding, about 10 times what the governor proposed.
He also pledged “we will do everything we can to provide the federal funding” needed to supplement state funds, including a potential $9 billion in bonds from a state ballot measure now scheduled for a vote in November 2008.
Nine other local leaders joined Costa in announcing the letter at a news conference Monday outside the restored Fresno Amtrak station.
Among them was Shafter Mayor Fran Florez, a member of the state High Speed Rail Authority board and mother of state Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter. She called high-speed rail “the most important project in California today.”
The 700-mile system would be built in phases and is expected to cost some $40 billion at full build-out. It would link the state’s major cities, from Sacramento and San Francisco to San Diego, with 200 mph “bullet trains.” Plans include stops in Fresno, Merced, Modesto and Bakersfield.
Those who shared the platform with Costa on Monday talked about how the trains would slash travel times to the state’s major metropolitan areas, while reducing air pollution by substituting electric trains for gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles.
“I look forward to the day when travel from Fresno to San Francisco is just over an hour,” Fresno County Supervisor Bob Waterston said.
Costa said increased funding for the next fiscal year — $50 million is the amount approved by an Assembly committee, compared to $5.19 million in Schwarzenegger’s request — is necessary to sustain the authority’s planning efforts in advance of the bond vote late next year.
The high-speed rail system itself, he said, is needed to cope with California’s continued growth in the face of limits on future airport and highway construction.
“We cannot build enough airports because of problems with density and growth, and we cannot build enough highways to solve this problem,” he said.